


roamin' in the city

by hedgebitch



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman (Movies 1989-1997)
Genre: Gen, Movie: Batman & Robin (1997), i don't foresee that being a popular relationship tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:20:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27706148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hedgebitch/pseuds/hedgebitch
Summary: Look, Babs knows how to spot a tail. Maybe it’s not super becoming of a proper young lady or whatever, but sometimes when you’re fending off the Oxbridge fun police you have to learn to get a little crafty. So she sees the twerp that’s following her around during patrol.But like, it’s not like Babs is in any position to tell the squirt to bug off.written for the prompt: "Barbara Wilson meeting Betty Kane (as Bat-Girl)" from @tsukiakari1203on tumblr
Relationships: Betty Kane & Barbara Wilson
Comments: 22
Kudos: 7





	roamin' in the city

Look, Babs knows how to spot a tail. Maybe it’s not super becoming of a proper young lady or whatever, but sometimes when you’re fending off the Oxbridge fun police you have to learn to get a little crafty. So she sees the twerp that’s following her around during patrol.

But like, it’s not like Babs is in any position to tell the squirt to bug off.

It’s when the girl starts getting braver that Babs starts to worry. It’s one thing to watch Batgirl and Robin fighting henchmen alongside Batman from a distance. It’s another to design yourself a costume and jump into the action.

The first time she does it, Babs is on a solo patrol. Code for: Bruce and Dick are on a “fishing trip” recon mission out of town, and have left Gotham in Batgirl’s more than capable hands, thanks very much for the offer of help, _Selina_.

Ugh. Needing help from a woman who prances around in an unzipped lycra suit and still can’t get Batman to let her off the hook for stealing a necklace? Yeah, right.

Anyways, Babs is kicking ass in a back alley when a red, yellow, and green clad child flips down onto the last of the baddies.

“Thanks for the save,” she tells the kid, even if it wasn’t particularly wanted or necessary. Kids like to feel helpful, right?

“You got a name?”

“Batgirl!” She proudly proclaims.

“Okay, cute, but Batgirl’s already taken by yours truly.”

“No, I’m Bat-Girl,” the kid insists, emphasizing the two words very carefully. “You did it wrong.”

Okay, so the girl’s got some balls. Tits? Whatever.

“Oh, really?” Babs asks her—the more time they spend chatting, the more time she has to figure out what the fuck she’s even supposed to do about an eleven year old groupie that won’t get her immediately kicked out by Uncle Alfred for child endangerment.

“There’s supposed to be a dash. And besides, you’re not even a girl, you’re a grownup.”

Well, that’s news to Babs. Maybe if Bat-Girl were running the show, there’d be a Batgirlmobile in the works.

“I guess you think I should’ve picked Batperson, too?” she taunts, and Bat-Girl makes a face so awful she doesn’t even need to verbalize her “yuck” to get her point across.

“Okay, Bat-Girl. If you’re so much better at Batgirling than I am, why’re you all done up in Robin’s colours?”

That gets Bat-Girl all shy and giggly.

“Cause he’s cute,” she says.

“As if!” Babs protests. “Did you know he eats raw onions on his pizza?”

Okay, so maybe she shouldn’t be dropping Dick Grayson facts on a random kid but. It’s totally rancid.

“Well, he’s not cute anymore,” Bat-Girl defends herself. “Just, Robin was. I think Nightwing is super gross, though.”

“Me, too.” Babs tells her with a grin, and the girl grins back in response, which is as good a cue as any.

“Listen, it’s getting pretty late and I’m heading back to the Batcave soon. Can I walk you home?”

Helping kids home is really more Dick’s thing than hers, but she’s pretty sure Bat-Girl requires an escort. Sure enough, the kid directs her to a building and tries to ditch her on the roof.

“This is where I live, but I don’t want you to see my window,” she tells Babs.

“Yeah, totally cool. Gotta protect that secret ID,” Babs replies, then figures, well, it’s a long shot, but she might as well give it a try. “Of course, I don’t know how I’ll be able to put in a good word with Nightwing for you if I don’t know who you are.”

“As if!” Bat-Girl says, echoing Babs’ earlier declaration of disgust.

“Copycat,” Babs fondly calls her as Bat-Girl stalks off across the rooftop.

“I’m not the one who stole my name from a _kid_!” she yells over her shoulder.

Babs grapples off to the next block and doubles back to watch Bat-Girl scurry down the building’s fire escape and start heading west. Babs follows along in the shadows, taking note of the building and apartment the girl actually climbs into.

When she gets back to the Batcave, she feeds the address into the Batcomputer. It was in the swankier part of town, so she’s not too surprised to see it belongs to a member of the Kane family. And the likely culprit behind the Bat-Girl mask is one Elizabeth Kane, a fifth grader at Madison Elementary.

Her aunt is Kathy Kane, which sounds familiar, so Babs runs a database search, and yep—the heiress is also a former trapeze artist. Must be where Betty picked up that flip.

Babs makes a note of it to ask Dick about later—he’ll call her circusist for sure, but he’ll also probably know something about her—and switches from Batgirl-mode to Babs-mode, ready to start prepping the Batblade for a race she’s planning on hitting up tomorrow night—then hesitates.

It’s a distinctive enough bike. Most of the racers know they’re up against Batgirl, though they’re nice enough not to bring it up. If Betty’s been following her through the city—is this really the example she should be setting?

On second thought, hell yeah, it is. Even eleven year olds gotta know how to shred leather.

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to yell at me for refusing to proofread my own work on tumblr @[barbarawilson](https://barbarawilson.tumblr.com/post/635726579952238592/sooo-barbara-wilson-meeting-betty-kane-as)  
> title from moaner by underworld which is on the batman & robin (1997) soundtrack. no i cannot be stopped <3


End file.
